Sunshine Coast Covid-19: Case numbers surge past 3000

Sunshine Coast confirmed Covid numbers have ballooned to more than 3000 as one of the region’s top doctors says the system is broken and residents must now live with the virus.

Sunshine Coast Covid-19 numbers have skyrocketed by 776 overnight to more than 3000 while one of the region’s top doctors says the system is broken and residents must now live with the virus.

Following a major surge in the past 24 hours, the region’s total number of cases has reached 3188 from 2412 on Wednesday.

Statewide, there were 10,332 new Covid cases and one death in the past 24 hours as authorities warn “we are stepping up to a major emergency’”

Medical Association Sunshine Coast president Dr Roger Faint said the system was “broken”.

Dr Faint said waiting times for Covid-19 testing had blown out to more than seven hours, rapid antigen tests were impossible to find and that GPs were being overrun.

“Everything has gone berserk,” Dr Faint said.

“We are at the point where it’s (the virus) is now endemic in our population.

“It’s broken. We are well and truly living with Covid.”

Local Medical Association Sunshine Coast president Dr Roger Faint said Covid was everywhere and that we must live with the virus.

Dr Faint said his Buderim practise was booked out of booster shots until February after swarms of residents rushed in to protect themselves.

“All we can do is be aware and try not to spread it,” Dr Faint said.

“I think it will be like this for some time. The main thing is to try and get the booster as soon as you’re due.”

Dr Faint said the phones were ringing off the hook from patients asking GPs for advice about how to get tested.

There are now 42,250 active cases in the state.

Detailed mapping shows exactly where Sunshine Coast and Noosa’s confirmed cases are located.

But Dr Gerrard said that was a “gross underestimation” of the real case numbers in the community with many infected residents using unrecorded rapid antigen tests at home or are unable to get tested due to long queues at testing stations.

Covid test clinic at Caloundra. Picture: Brad Fleet

“Of course, we know this is a gross underestimate of the true number,” Dr Gerrard said.

“As we know, many patients are doing their own testing, their own RAT testing at home.

“So patients will have very mild illness and not recognise they have Covid-19 and some patients won’t quite be able to access testing.”

Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network’s Dr Jon Harper urged residents to reconsider any unnecessary movement to help limit the spread of the virus.

“We all need to take simple precautions to protect ourselves, our family and our community,” Dr Harper said.

“Being vaccinated is the best way to reduce the risk of severe illness and slow the spread of Covid-19, and many of us will be due for a booster in the coming weeks.”